Exploring the interface between Buddhist teachings, meditation techniques, academic Buddhist Studies, and the practical application of them into our lives as lay Buddhists
It may come as a surprise to some people, but despite its reputation for pessimism and nihilism, Buddhism is a practice that requires joy, although it might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about grinding out a tough retreat. In one sutta we even find evidence that the Buddha’s … Continue reading Joy and Practice
The question of fabrications and intention has stayed on my radar since I wrote last week’s blog post, and I thought it might be good to delve into the subject a bit more because I have found it to be very supportive for my meditation practice. Fabrications are not all bad, it turns out. The … Continue reading Making the Breath
I was listening to a talk by a Dhamma friend about intention this week, which opened up to me what a complex issue it could be. The road to hell is paved with good intentions as the saying goes, and as a child I was told that this saying pointed to our inability to understand … Continue reading Intending to Intend
As Westerners we are constantly bombarded with the message that whatever we have isn’t good enough and that we need something more. This was something that came up in the post I wrote last week about some of the more challenging Buddhist teachings being held back from Western students for a range of reasons. This … Continue reading Insufficiency and Self
This week I have been inspired by something Ajahn Amaro said in a talk given at Stanford University [1] about his concerns that Western teachers not giving their students challenging teachings because they are unpopular, or hard to sell. He told an interesting story about the time that Ajahn Chah gave some teaching at the … Continue reading A Kind Stab to the Heart
Kalyana Mitta 